Research opportunities
How to get research experience in high school
High school students can do real research, but it rarely starts with a posted position. It comes through a structured summer program, a science fair project with a mentor, or a short email to a university professor. Computational and data projects are the easiest way in, because most wet labs have strict rules for minors.
- Main routes
- Summer programs, science fairs, direct emails
- Easiest project type
- Coding, data analysis or literature work
- Usually required
- Guardian consent and adult supervision
- Who writes the email
- You, not a parent or counsellor
What minors can and cannot do in a university lab
Universities treat anyone under the age of majority as a special case. Expect a consent form signed by a parent or guardian, safety training, and a rule that a named adult must be present when you work. Many institutions also keep minors away from hazardous chemicals, biological agents, radiation and live animals, and a professor cannot waive those rules.
That rules out a lot of bench work, but not research. Cleaning a dataset, testing code, scoring images and summarizing papers can often be done from home. If you can program even a little, lead with it.
Summer programs and science fairs
Formal programs solve the paperwork problem, because the university has already approved minors on campus. The Research Science Institute, held at MIT each summer for students finishing their junior year, is free and very selective. In Canada, SHAD brings high school students to university campuses for part of the summer, and many universities run their own programs for high schoolers. Check each program's page for eligibility, cost and dates.
Science fairs are the other route. A regional project can lead to the Canada-Wide Science Fair or, in the US, the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair. A fair project also gives you a concrete reason to write to a professor: you need advice on one method, not a desk in their lab. If your fair project involves people, animals or biological materials, get your fair's ethics or scientific review approval before you collect any data; it can't be granted after the fact. Also agree with your mentor on which part of the work is yours.
How to be taken seriously by a professor
Write the email yourself and copy a parent, since many universities ask staff to avoid one-on-one messages with minors. A message written by a parent suggests you can't manage the work alone. Put your grade and age in the first two lines so nothing surprises the professor later.
Expect fewer replies than an undergraduate would get. Before emailing more professors, ask a science teacher whether your school already has university contacts. The general method is in how to email a professor for research. A strong email from a high school student includes:
- One paper from the group that you read, and what you took from it
- Something you have made: a fair project, a program, an analysis
- The hours you have around school
- A narrow ask, such as one summer task
- A line saying your parents know and can sign any forms
Example email to a professor
The names and papers are made up. Swap in your own details and a real paper from the professor's page.
Subject: Grade 11 student with Python experience: your urban heat research
Dear Professor Okonkwo,
I'm a 16-year-old Grade 11 student at [your high school]. Your group's paper on how tree cover changes summer surface temperatures from block to block caught my eye, especially the result that parking lots mattered more than building height.
For my science fair project this year I used Python to clean and map temperature readings from 40 home weather stations in my city. I'm comfortable with messy data and plotting, and I'd like to learn how researchers work with satellite images.
Would you or a graduate student have a small data task I could help with this summer, remotely or on campus? I have about 15 hours a week in July and August. I've copied my mother, who can sign any forms the university needs.
Thank you, Sofia Reyes Grade 11, [your high school]
Common questions
Can high school students do research at a university?
Yes, usually through a formal program or with a professor who agrees to mentor you. Computational and data projects are the most common arrangement, and summer is the easiest time because you have hours to give.
Is there a minimum age to work in a university lab?
Often, though it varies by university and by lab. Wet labs with chemicals, biological materials or animals usually have the strictest limits, while remote data or coding work raises fewer issues. Ask the professor to check their university's policy on minors.
Are research programs that charge a fee worth it?
Judge a program by who supervises you and what you will actually do. Some of the most respected programs are free, and a fee does not buy a strong letter. Be wary of any program that guarantees a publication.